Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

iSH VS MinGW

Compare iSH VS MinGW and see what are their differences

iSH logo iSH

The Linux shell on iOS.

MinGW logo MinGW

MinGW ("Minimalistic GNU for Windows") is a port of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) and...
  • iSH Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-05
  • MinGW Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-08

iSH features and specs

  • Compatibility
    iSH allows users to run a Linux shell environment on iOS devices, offering compatibility across platforms and enabling the execution of a variety of Linux-based applications.
  • User-friendly
    The app provides an intuitive interface that makes it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and use Linux tools on their iOS devices.
  • Offline Access
    iSH can be used without an internet connection, allowing users to run scripts and perform tasks without needing to be online.
  • Portability
    By allowing Linux to run on an iOS device, iSH adds significant portability for developers and sysadmins who need shell access on-the-go.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source application, iSH encourages community collaboration and transparency, allowing users to contribute or modify the code.

Possible disadvantages of iSH

  • Performance Limitations
    Due to running within a virtualization layer, performance may not match a native Linux environment. Resource-intensive tasks may not performant smoothly.
  • Limited System Calls
    Some system calls are not supported or behave differently in iSH, which could pose a limitation for certain applications or scripts requiring those features.
  • App Store Limitations
    Being subject to Apple's App Store policies could potentially restrict the features or updates available through iSH compared to a regular Linux environment.
  • No Full Desktop Environment
    iSH provides a shell-only environment, meaning users looking for a full desktop experience will not find it in this application.
  • Battery Usage
    Running a Linux shell with iSH can be resource-intensive on mobile devices, leading to increased battery drain compared to regular app usage.

MinGW features and specs

  • Open Source
    MinGW is an open-source software project, which makes it freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
  • Lightweight
    It is a lightweight alternative to full-fledged development environments, providing essential tools without unnecessary overhead.
  • Windows Compatibility
    MinGW offers native Windows support, allowing developers to compile applications that can run directly on Windows without the need for a compatibility layer.
  • GCC Integration
    It includes the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), which is widely considered a strong, stable, and versatile set of compilers for C, C++, and other languages.
  • Active Community
    MinGW is supported by an active community, which can provide help, patches, and additional resources via forums and online discussions.

Possible disadvantages of MinGW

  • Limited POSIX Support
    While MinGW provides some POSIX functionality, its support is limited compared to other environments like Cygwin, which might be a drawback for developers relying on extensive POSIX compatibility.
  • Manual Configuration
    Initial setup and configuration can be cumbersome for beginners, requiring a manual installation process that might be intimidating or time-consuming.
  • Lacks Newest GCC Features
    At times, MinGW may lag in providing the latest features or updates available in the newest versions of GCC, leading to potential compatibility or feature discrepancies.
  • No Native 64-bit Support
    Historically, MinGW has focused on 32-bit toolchains, which may not offer the full benefits of modern 64-bit architectures. However, MinGW-w64 was developed to address this issue.
  • Fragmentation
    The existence of multiple variants such as MinGW and MinGW-w64 can cause confusion, leading developers to face challenges in choosing the right version for their needs.

iSH videos

In-depth-ish review of the RS3M 2020 (NEW MAIN!?!?)

More videos:

  • Review - Mistborn - A Spoiler Free -ish Review! The Final Empire
  • Review - Black-ish AF: Review

MinGW videos

MinGW или Cygwin

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Install MinGW | GCC Toolset for C and C++ Programming | Setting Path variable on Windows 10
  • Tutorial - How to install | use gcc | MinGW compiler in windows | window 10

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to iSH and MinGW)
Terminal Tools
51 51%
49% 49
SSH
54 54%
46% 46
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0
Server Management
35 35%
65% 65

User comments

Share your experience with using iSH and MinGW. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare iSH and MinGW

iSH Reviews

10 Termux Alternatives
ISH is an app that provides a Linux environment on your IOS device with a keyboard addition that helps you take complete control over your navigation system. It is an explorable project that can control it from remote devices by using some of its simple settings of API endpoints. You can quickly move your files around and edit them according to your specific needs and can...

MinGW Reviews

10 Termux Alternatives
MinGW is an application with all the functions of GNU that includes the runtime of MSVC and supports C99 functionality. This software is only supported and executed on 64bit Windows and similar platforms with Linux shell environment and provides its users the facility of different import types of files and libraries and move them to other software according to your specific...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iSH seems to be a lot more popular than MinGW. While we know about 48 links to iSH, we've tracked only 1 mention of MinGW. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

iSH mentions (48)

  • Show HN: Lume – OS Lightweight CLI/API for macOS/Linux VMs on Apple Silicon
    You can, with ish (https://ish.app). It is a bit slow though and doesn't support the newest releases. (Well and by default it runs Alpine instead of Debian). - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Poll: When will we see full Linux distros as official iPhone apps?
    I'm a happy daily iSH [1] user, it's an amazing technical project, but I really pine for the day when `apt get blah` will be a reality, using an app available from the official App Store. Be it a paid or free app. CLI only, or with graphics. For concreteness, let's say a Debian-based distro in your iPhone upon tapping Get on Apple's App Store, independently of your location. It is pretty sad that, if... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Apple downgrades new M2 iPad Air, 9-core GPU instead of 10-core
    > in software side of Ipad IOS, that is the biggest innovation in years That would be iSH, slow but functional Alpine Linux emulation for iOS. https://ish.app. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says
    > Just imagine how much more versatile the iPad Pro would be if only you could run Linux VMs on it After installing https://ish.app for Alpine Linux emulation on iPad, one immediately comes up with use cases, even though it's excruciatingly slow. Hopefully Apple opens up the imminent M3 iPad Pros to run macOS and Linux VMs. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • How to copy a file between devices?
    Android: install termux, `pkg install openssh`, and preferably run `termux-setup-storage` to give it access to storage folders. iOS: I think https://ish.app/ ? - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

MinGW mentions (1)

  • Is Mingw dead?
    Is osdn's mingw it a new project ? It's surprising how it provides gcc 4.8.2 and gcc 9.2.0. I guess the 4.8.2 is the last one provided by mingw.org, and 9.2.0 is the first of osdn's project? Is it maintained by the same developers? Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing iSH and MinGW, you can also consider the following products

Termux - Terminal emulator and Linux environment for Android

MSYS2 - A Cygwin-derived software distro for Windows using Arch Linux's Pacman

UserLAnd - Easiest way to run GNU/Linux Distros on Android - no root required

Cygwin - Cygwin is a set of tools that provide Linux and POSIX functionality to Windows.

Blink Shell - Super-fast and highly configurable, professional-grade terminal for iOS.

Linux Deploy - This application is open source software for quick and easy installation of the operating system...